Tanacetum parthenium, a plant commonly known as Feverfew, has been recognized since the Middle Ages as having significant medicinal properties when taken orally—used as a general febrifuge, hence its common name. Many have isolated extracts of the plant and those extracts have been used to orally treat migraines, arthritis, and bronchial complaints. (See Johnson et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,758,433, discussing the treatment of a variety of diseases by oral, inhalation, injection or suppository administration of the extract and see WO 94 06800, discussing a extract of feverfew which contains parthenolide).
Extracts of feverfew contain many components. Although not all components have been isolated and characterized, the known components of an extract of feverfew contain a significant number of biologically active components. To date, the chemical constituents of whole feverfew extract are as follows: apigenin-7-glucoside, apigenin-7-glucuronide, 1-β-hydroxyarbusculin, 6-hydroxykaempferol-3,7-4′-trimethylether (Tanetin), 6-hydroxykaempferol-3,7-dimethyl ether, 8-β-reynosin, 10-epicanin, ascorbic acid, beta-carotene, calcium, chromium, chrysanthemolide, chrysanthemomin, chrysarten-A, chrsyarten-c, chrysoeriol-7-glucuronide, cobalt, cosmosiin, epoxyartemorin, luteolin-7-glucoside, luteolin-7-glucuronide, mangnoliolide, parthenolide, quercetagentin-3,7,3′-trimethylether, quercetagetin-3′7-dimethylether, reynosin, tanaparthin, tanaparthin-1α,4α-epoxide, tanaparthin-1β,4β-epoxide, β-costunolide, 3-β-hydroxy-parthenolide, and 3,7,3′-trimethoxyquercetagetin. The specific role that each of these component compounds plays in the biological activity of feverfew is to date unknown. However, some information is known about the allergic reactions to the extract. It is believed that many of these allergic reactions are caused by the α-unsaturated γ-lactones such as parthenolide. (See, Arch. Dermatol. Forsch. 1975, 251 (3):235–44; Arch. Dermatol. Forsch 1976, 255 (2):111-21; Contact Dermatitis, 1988, 38 (4):207–8; Am. J. Contact Dermatol. 1998-9 (1):49–50; Br. J. Dermatol, 1995, 132 (4): 543–47).
Despite the existence of oral methods of using extracts of feverfew, there are no defined methods for topically using these extracts to treat or prevent inflammatory disorders and related conditions. In addition, there are no teachings which describe the use of an extract of feverfew which does not contain the allergy causing α-unsaturated γ-lactones. These are two areas which are addressed by this invention.